Knots
by dustytiger
Summary: Emily Prentiss goes out with her friends but when she gets in the real reason she came back becomes more and more clear. A Prentiss/Reid stand alone. Enjoy!


Title: Knots  
Rating: T (like the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: CM still belong to it's creator, network, writers, actors, and actresses who bring it to life weekly. I am just poor crafter who likes to play please don't sue you'd just get a lot of feathers anyway.  
Summary: Emily Prentiss goes out with her friends but when she gets in the real reason she came back becomes more and more clear.  
Notes: My muse and I have been quarreling but I really wanted a little something up before the season starts so this what I came up with! This is a stand alone and I know I copped out at the end but it works for me. I will likely re-examine the pairing at some point but for now this is what I can do. The title is an Anna Nalick song check it out if you so desire. I hope you enjoy this. I've missed these two hopefully this season will give me some nuggets!

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It had been a long time since the three of them had had a chance to go out together. Emily Prentiss knew she only had herself to blame but it was comforting to know she could come home. She'd had a lot of good nights out while she'd been in England but nothing beat a night out with her two closest friends Penelope Garcia, and Jennifer Jareau. Although she had been back to work a few cases this was different, she was ready to be home and for the first time in her life she knew where home was.

Part of the reason she was out with her friends was to finally come clean about a relationship she still didn't believe had lasted so long. As the night had progressed she realised she didn't want to change the tone of the night. She wanted to enjoy one more night out just like before without having to hear her friends' good natured jabs about her not so new beau and resident genius. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to explain to them how that relationship had changed so she decided, once again, to wait.

"I missed this," Garcia told her pouring another round of sangrias for everyone.

"Me too," Prentiss assured her. "Going out with my mates at the pub was not the same as going with you."

JJ laughed. "I'm sure the guys at Interpol didn't like sangria either."

"I was getting pretty sick of beer. I guess I just needed to get away to realise where the heart really finds home."

If only they knew just how much of her heart was really there and who it now belonged to. She swirled her drink around in the glass. Taking a moment try to put the words together in her mind. She couldn't understand why this was so hard for her, she knew exactly how she felt about him but it was as if the house of cards might come down if she let the cat out of the bag.

"I'm glad you found it here," Garcia assured her, getting up and hugging her.

"Me too," she assured them both raising her glass.

The three women clinked their glasses together as their server came over and put a plate of nachos down for them. She couldn't remember when they'd last been there, but the same sever was still there; and like clockwork she delivered their extra cheese with guacamole and jalapenos on the side nachos after their second pitcher of sangria.

"Oo! Food!" Garica exclaimed taking a chip.

Prentiss took some as well. "I missed this too. The guys always wanted to order wings. By round four they'd be seeing who could eat the hottest wings. After the second time you'd think they'd realise this American could handle just about anything." She then popped a jalapeno in her mouth.

"So you're saying you don't want suicide wings?" laughed JJ.

"Not so much."

The three of them ate their nachos chatting like they always did. After their third pitcher of sangria they knew it was time to stop. After a round of water and more catching up, laughing and forgetting all about work they got up and headed out. Garcia lived in the opposite direction so Prentiss and JJ saw her safely into a cab before sharing one back to JJ's. They hoped Spencer Reid, who was babysitting JJ's boys, would agree to drive her home.

When they got into JJ's they saw Reid asleep on the couch, with Henry laying on him with his favourite blanket covering them both. Seeing the scene in front of her Prentiss could not help but let her mind wander. She wished she had told her friend so she could whisper, gushing about how amazing it would be to see him like that with their child. She imagined a daughter who happened to have her thick dark hair and her father's long digits. Her cheeks flushed a little and if her friend had noticed she would have blamed it on the earlier drinks.

"Spence?" JJ whispered as she picked Henry up.

Reid's eyes fluttered opened and he looked at his friend as the fog of sleep was lifted. The little boy groaned a little but rested his head on his mother's shoulder without opening his eyes. Reid stretched out a little as he stood up.

"He had a bad dream. I put on some soothing music I guess we fell asleep waiting for you," he told her. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really, I should…"

"Of course, of course," he assured her.

She nodded. "Do you mind driving Emily back to her hotel?"

"I don't mind at all. Goodnight JJ."

"Thank you again Spence, I'll come lock the door once he's tucked in."

They whispered quick goodbyes as JJ went down the hall to tuck her son in. When Prentiss and Reid got outside she felt his hand on her hip. There was something comforting about that but a part of her wondered if their friend might see. He stopped when they got to the car. He was sure he already knew the answer to his question but he needed to know.

"Did you tell them?" he asked, his voice still soft.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry we were just so…" her voice trailed off.

"I understand, I do really, but we're going to have to tell them soon."

She stopped, facing him, and patted his chest right near his heart. "I know Spencer, I know and we will, soon. Tonight just felt so much like old times I didn't want to change it."

He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Okay so I assume you're not staying at the hotel again tonight."

She shook her head, no. "Thank you."

When they got to the car he opened the door for her and she sat down. She always had to stop herself from pulling the door closed and instead reached to put on her seatbelt as the door closed. He then went around to the driver's side. When he was comfortable she took his hand. He squeezed her hand and then lifted their hands toward him, kissing her fingers.

"I love you Emily," he told her.

"I love you, Spencer," she whispered, goose bumps forming all over her body; no man had ever had that kind of effect on her.

If she was being honest with herself she knew he'd been the reason she'd come back. They'd told themselves long before she had left that things weren't serious. They had even agreed to see other people while she'd been overseas but the moment they actually saw one another it always ended the same. Something seemed to always pull them back together.

It had become too hard to deny after the last time she'd been back and she knew it was time to come home. She wanted to and was happy to be coming home to him. Since she had been back she had only spent a few hours in her hotel room wanting to spend as much time as possible with him.

"We need to tell them, Emily," he sighed as he started the car.

"I know, but it's never going to be easy," she told him. "They're going to be hurt."

"I know, but we can't change that now. I'm sure they'll understand why it took us so long to tell the truth."

She ghosted her fingers along his. "They're out closest friends, practically family, and we've kept the truth from them for over four years."

He nodded. "I know, Emily, I do. This is going to hurt but we both know we want a future together and that means coming clean with the people who matter most to us."

"Technically it's been three last year we tried…" her voice trailed off, she still couldn't believe she'd suggested it, nor that he'd agree to it.

"Not that it changed anything. Why have we been so afraid of this for so long?"

"I wish I knew."

She smiled glad to see the apartment complex come into view. She told him she was apartment hunting, when she could, with their schedules, but she suspected he knew she was lying. She felt safe in his book filled apartment; it felt like home. Even on the flight back when she thought of home his was the place her mind imagined.

"I made you a key," Reid told her, taking it from his pocket as they got out of the car.

She smiled. "Let's see if it works." She put the key in the lock and opened the door. "I guess we'll need to tell them before I put in my official address."

He nodded. "If Garcia finds out when it pops up on a screen heads will roll."

"So I can stop looking at apartment ads?"

"Unless you want to live somewhere else, Morgan tells me this is I believe he said an 'anti-honey geek cave,'" Reid explained

She laughed. "I like it here and I don't want to move again for a while."

"All right, I'm glad."

His hand was on her hip as they walked inside. She went into the bathroom to get ready and changed for bed. He went into the bathroom after her and was soon beside her in the bed. Sometimes he was still amazed when he found her there. For a long time he didn't believe he would find anyone to share his life with. As cliché as it was his partner really was his best friend, and there was a certain comfort in that.

"Spencer?" she asked moving to face him. "Have you ever thought about having kids?"

She hoped this time he wouldn't weasel his way out of giving her an answer. The last time she had inquired about baby geniuses it had been in the abstract. She knew what she wanted the answer to be and wonder if that was why she hadn't asked again; even after she had decided to come home – to him.

"I worry about that, to be honest, because of my mother's condition; although I know the risk are diminished considerably as I've not presented with symptoms I still…" he began then saw the look on her face and stopped himself. "But I do like the idea of having children with you Emily."

"When I saw you with Henry I guess I let my mind wander, it was nice."

"I think there are steps we need to take before starting a family."

"I know, I understand. Seeing you just made me think," she explained.

"I'm not opposed but I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't apprehensive about it," he explained, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

She smiled a spark ran though her before she kissed him softly. "I understand. I just want to know it might be in the cards."

"It is. Now, let's try and get some sleep."

She yawned. "Alcohol always helps me sleep."

"That's actually a myth," he began. "While a side effect of alcohol is drowsiness it actually inhibits REM sleep."

"Spencer," she sighed.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you."

As much as she loved him there were still times that his encyclopedic knowledge could still frustrated her. He ran his hand along her cheek, knowing she needed him to just be in the moment. She kissed him softly but she was exhausted, still not used to her new schedule. She did fall into a very restful sleep although it had more to do with the person who was curled up next to her than the remaining alcohol in her system.

The End

Notes: Okay, okay I know this had potential to be something more but I have so much half written stuff hanging out on my hard drive right now I'm keeping this a stand alone. Let me know what you think! Hugz – Trista


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